Forever After
by RushingAutumnLeaves
Summary: "Raven Queen was a lot more than what you all thought of her. She wasn't evil. She was far from evil. If anyone here is evil, it's you." After an unexpected turn in the tale takes Raven away, Dexter is left to wonder what might have happened had she stayed with him. He's left to wonder what could have happened to his Forever After.


_**~Forever After~**_

_An Ever After High Story _

"You already destroyed the destinies, Rae. We can be together now." Dexter said, taking the pale hand of Raven Queen. She pulled her hand away and shook her head, her dark hair falling in front of her shoulders and covering her face.

"I can't go out with you, Dex. It's nothing against you. You don't want me. Trust me. Besides, there's something I have to do. It'll prevent me from getting into a relationship."

"After you do what you need to do?" Dexter asked. Raven shook her head.

"It won't be possible, Dex. I'm sorry." Raven kissed Dexter then, a sweet kiss that only lasted a few seconds. "Don't think I didn't love you, okay?" Raven pulled herself off the couch and ran off. Dexter wanted to follow her, but he figured that he would get nowhere if he tried. The darkness settled around the Royal Common room and Dexter realised he couldn't stay there all night.

"I love you, Rae. I wish you would realise that already." He sighed and got off the couch, heading back towards his room. He had Forever After to make Raven realise how he felt about her. He didn't need to worry too much about one rejection. A few months ago, before Raven had destroyed the Storybook of Legends, he would have dropped the matter. He wasn't part of her story. Now, they wrote their own stories. He wouldn't stop until Raven Queen was his.

He found himself back in his room before long, and he sunk into his bed. Hunter was long asleep, his snores keeping Dexter awake and thinking. He'd been so sure, what with all the conversations they'd had, that Raven had liked him back. She'd joked, laughed, teased, and even held his hand on one occasion. Was that just what girls did normally? His only experience with girls was Raven Queen, but he'd apparently been wrong about her.

"_Don't think I didn't love you, okay?" _Raven had said those words before she ran off. Did that mean she had loved him once? Had he been too late? He was afraid that Raven had found someone else, and that's the thought that stuck with him as he fell into an uneasy sleep.

Dexter's dreams were plagued with images of Raven hugging Hunter as he spun her around in a wide circle. Raven was kissing Hopper to turn him into a prince. Alistair and Raven laughing and holding hands over the table while Maddie translated the Riddlish. Daring dipping Raven on the dance floor and kissing her...

"Dexter, dude, wake up. There's something wrong with Raven." Hunter's voice made Dexter snap awake. He sat up and nearly fell out of bed trying to grab his crown.

"Forget formalities. This is serious." Hunter said. Dexter untangled himself and was grateful that Hunter didn't point out that Dexter was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. In all his thinking about Raven, he'd forgotten to change into his pajamas. He followed Hunter into the Royal Common Room, where a glass case was sitting where the coffee table usually sat.

"What's going on?" He asked his sister. Darling had tears in her princess eyes and she hugged Dexter tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Dex." She said. She made room for Dexter to make his way to the front and his heart dropped. The glass case was the one that Apple had been destined to sleep inside until Daring woke her with a kiss. Only, the princess inside wasn't Apple White. The dark, purple streaked hair was combed neatly and tucked under the pale, slender body of Raven Queen.

"Somebody help her," Dexter said, his voice shaking. "Somebody has to help her."

"There's nothing we can do, Dex," Daring said, clapping a hand on his brother's shoulder. "She wasn't written with a Happily Ever After. There's nobody at this school that could save her. The only thing that could save her right now would be True Love's kiss, and that's only if something in our Realm did this too her." He shot an angry glare at Cupid, who backed into the shadows. It was no secret that Cupid had brought a large majority of her potions from her time at Monster High.

"_Don't think I didn't love you, okay?" _

"She loved me." Dexter said quietly.

"What now?" Daring asked, trying to console his teary eyed sister and a weeping Apple.

"Raven. She told me last night that she loved me...sort of."

"Did you love her back?" Apple asked, her eyes lighting up again. Dexter nodded. He wasn't sure about most things relating to Raven, but he did know that he loved her. He also knew that, if Daring was right about the Kiss, he would have to kiss her in front of the entire school.

"Then go and kiss her!" Darling said, her eyes shining with tears and hope. Her destiny wasn't confirmed yet, but everyone knew that she wanted to be woken by True Love's Kiss. She was nearly bouncing, excited to see it happen right in front of her.

"I'd um, I'd rather not kiss her with all these people around." Dexter admitted in a hushed voice. Daring and Apple nodded and set to ushering everyone out. The other rebels were hard to pry away from the glass coffin, but Maddie sulked out when she was promised mourning tea.

"She did love you." Cedar said as she passed Dexter. He tried to smile. He knew that Cedar was telling the truth. After all, she couldn't lie. Daring gave him a comforting smile, nearly blinding him in the process, and left the room, Apple at his heels.

Dexter removed the top to the coffin, which was surprisingly light, and stroked Raven's face. It was ice cold. Her fingers, arms, and neck were just as cold, and Dexter started to wonder if this would even work.

"Hey, Rae. It's me, Dex. I'm um...I'm gonna kiss you now, so, if you could please wake up, that would be gort...er, great." She wasn't even awake and she was making him flustered. And again with the gort? He thought he would have learned. His heart started beating faster as he leaned in and pressed his lips to Raven's.

He had imagined this moment a million times before, in a million different ways, but none of them had involved Raven being unconscious. He was also pretty sure that he'd also never imagined his kiss magically bringing her back to life. He had checked her wrist for a pulse as he kissed her, and even though the kiss had lasted exactly ten seconds (a whopping seven seconds longer than needed for the magic to take place), there was nothing. Raven was still stone cold. No pulse, no movement. No more Raven.

"Rae, come on," Dexter whispered. He kissed her again. Nothing. Again. Nothing. Three more kisses. Nothing, nothing, nothing. He was crying now, and he knew it. His tears were landing on Raven's face and rolling down her cheeks. It almost looked as though Raven were crying.

A hand rested on each of his shoulders and he turned to see Daring and Apple standing beside him. Apple had princess tears in her eyes, her makeup still perfect despite the tears rolling down her face. Daring wasn't crying, but he looked less proud than he usually did. Dexter couldn't help it. He hugged his older brother and sobbed.

"You can go through her stuff. Most of it isn't actually hers. I thought she'd like the evil stuff. Her stuff is in the back." Apple was standing awkwardly at the door of the room she'd once shared with Raven. She waited until Dexter was sitting at Raven's desk before she shut the door and waited in the hall, giving the younger Charming his privacy. Dexter wasn't sure what to do now that he was alone. Going through her stuff felt too final. Daring had told him to find something special to Raven, so that Dexter would always have part of her with him.

What was special in this room? Everything in here was just a reminder of who everyone thought Raven would be. Everything in here was a constant reminder to Raven that she was supposed to be evil. Everything in here was a lie. Dexter opened up one of the desk drawers. Empty except for a pale purple hairbrush. There were a few broken strands of Raven's hair in the brush. He shut the drawer and opened the next one. Empty except for a Magicology homework assignment with a giant scribble across the entire front. The due date was for sometime next week. Dexter shut the drawer and went to open the last one, but it was locked.

Dexter muttered under his breath and tried to pry the lock open. No go. The lock stayed stubbornly shut.

"You won't get that open," Apple said from the doorway. "That's where Raven locks her notebook. I don't know where the key is."

"What about Blondie?" Dexter asked.

"She doesn't know where the key is." Apple said, looking confused.

"No, but she can get this lock open." Dexter said. Apple smiled and set off to find Blondie. While she was gone, Dexter fought with the lock some more, even though he knew he couldn't get it open. There was a knock at the door and Dexter moved aside. Blondie touched the lock and it clicked. The blonde looked at Dexter, her eyes sad.

"I'm sorry about Raven. You two were...well, you would have been just right."

"Thanks, Blondie," Dexter had grown so used to the condolences at this point that it was just easier to thank them. He couldn't talk about her without crying again. He'd kept Hunter awake every night the past few weeks, screaming in his sleep. Hunter swore he didn't mind, but Dexter still felt bad when his roommate starting dozing off in Damsel Rescuing class.

The girls left Dexter alone again and he pulled the drawer open. It slid smoothly, and a dark purple journal sat in the middle of the drawer. Raven's name was written in silver script across the front cover. She'd stricken out her mother's name, and Dexter smiled his first real smile since he'd lost Raven.

_The Diary of Raven Ebony Queen_

_Daughter of the_ (Dexter noticed that Raven had scribbled something out here)_Good King_

Most of the pages were just filled with normal, everyday stuff. What homework was due, when it was due. A few pages were about her concern about Legacy Day. Dexter actually took the time to read these ones. He felt like he knew her better than anyone else, but the entries about Legacy Day made him feel like he didn't know her at all. Each of the black pages was filled with Raven's smooth, silver handwriting.

_I guess I should feel lucky, right? I mean, Dex doesn't even know his destiny yet, and Legacy day is less than three days away. Apple is thrilled, but she has a Happy ending. She's going to get to marry the one she loves. I won't even get to see him anymore if I sign the book. I'm starting to wonder if there's another way to avoid following my mother's footsteps. Apple says I have to, or I'll go 'poof' but I don't think I believe that__.__ Apple, Daring, Hunter...we can't all just vanish, can we? Can't they just replace me? There are a lot of people here with evil stories. People that actually want to be evil. Why can't one of them take my place? They would kill to be in my place (literally)._ (There was another scribble mark here, and Dexter couldn't tell what it said).

_No, that's stupid. Even without the stories, Dexter would never want someone like me. I'm not even acknowledged as a royal. I understand not accepting my mother's blood as royal, but what about Dad? He's a good guy. The Good King. His blood should could for something, but to the Royals, I'm just Raven Queen, the girl who's going to poison Apple in a few years. And if that's how they see me, then I'm almost positive that's how Dexter sees me too, even if he's too nice to admit it._

_*Raven Ebony Queen*_

Dexter flipped to the next page. Raven had written 'LEGACY DAY' across the top in sloppy handwriting. She hadn't bothered to write about the days inbetween her thoughts on the matter and the actual day. Dexter tried to remember if anything about her had changed since then. He couldn't think of anything as he started to read the next page in her journal.

_**LEGACY DAY**_

_Today was the day. Legacy Day. The day we sign away our right to choose. Only, I made sure that didn't happen to me. I feel sorry for Apple. She was looking forward to this day. I don't know why Briar is upset. Now, she can live out her life with her friends, instead of sleeping forever and waking up to some guy she doesn't know, or losing all her friends while she sleeps. Duchess is angry too, but her ending isn't happy. I thought I was doing everyone a favor, but all I did was ruin everything. Dexter won't even get to find out what his story was. Daring is angry with me because Apple is upset. All the royals are angry because Daring is angry. Even my friends seem a little down. Cedar was looking forward to her first lie (even though she won't admit it). Maddie was so excited about taking over her dad's place (at least, I think she was. She was speaking Riddlish). The only bright side of this whole thing was that nobody poofed. Apple is still here. Daring is still here. Hunter is still here. I'm still here, but I'm pretty sure that most of the school wishes I had poofed. Dexter hasn't even talked to me since I refused to sign, but that might be mostly my fault. I'm afraid to look at him. I don't want him to blame me because he lost his destiny. Apple hasn't spoken to me either. She's been sitting on her bed, just crying and staring at me. Did I make a mistake not signing that book?_

_*Raven Ebony Queen*_

_Legacy Day was three days ago. Dexter still talks to me a lot, but the others hate me. Briar left spiders in my bed this morning. Apple won't talk to me. She won't even look at me. Daring flashed me a smile, but it turns out that he was just trying to blind me with his stupid teeth. Dex said he'd talk to the rest of the Royals, but I don't see him changing anything. He's a Charming, but as long as Daring hates me, the others will follow. Lizzie actually told me to take my own head off. Not 'off with her head', 'go cut your head off'. Not her catch phrase. At all. Somebody left a razor blade on my desk in Magicology with a note saying 'in case you need it'. I still have no idea who left it. _

_Maybe they have a point. My not signing the Storybook of Legends was a major fairy fail. _

_*Raven Ebony Queen*_

There were no more entries after that. Dexter flipped through three pages and found nothing. Not even an ink blot. He didn't think that was the end. There had to be something else. Why would she lock the book away if she knew that would be her last entry? He flipped through the pages like a flipbook and stopped on the last page. There was a jagged rip. Raven had torn a page out. There was one word on the back cover of her journal, written in her silver inked handwriting.

_Pillowcase_.

Dexter traced the ten letters and stuck the journal in his coat pocket. It fit without any problem and he made his way to Raven's bed. Her bed was perfectly made. Apple had said that Raven hadn't touched it since the night before she met with Dexter for the last time. There was a very light layer of dust on the dark sheets. Dexter unsettled the dust when he sat down, and the light streaming from the window showed the dust floating around the room and landing in a thin layer of dust across the entire room.

He ran his hand across the surface of the pillow. The cool satin pillowcase was like liquid beneath his hand, but he couldn't feel anything out of the ordinary. He flipped it over and a folded piece of paper fluttered to the floor at his feet. He picked it up, surprised to see his name scrawled on the page. It was in Raven's silver pen, her neat handwriting shining in the sunlight. The dark paper was thick in his hand and he unfolded it, wondering what Raven had to say that she couldn't have told him in person.

_Dexter,_

_I don't know how to write this. I've been getting advice from Cupid. She says that the best thing to do is be direct. She learned it from someone named Abbey back at her old school. She says the best thing to do is be direct. I told you earlier tonight (although, I suppose you're probably reading this way after what happened) that I wanted you to know that I loved you. Don't think I didn't. Because I did, Dex. I really did. I do. Still do. I would have told you earlier, but it was against our destinies. I thought I could tell you the truth, after Legacy Day, but I couldn't. Not with the way your friends were treating me. They hate me, Dex. Even now, I bet they hate me. They probably think I'm doubly selfish now. Selfish for not signing the book. Selfish for not sticking around. Selfish for getting out before they found a way to fix what I messed up. _

_Do you miss me, Dex? Or was everything you said just a ruse? Were you just being nice, or did you actually care about me? _(This was scribble out, but Dexter could read the text if he squinted hard enough).

_That's a dumb question. I already know the answer. If it helps, I miss you too, Dex. Hex, I'm not even gone yet, and Hex, do I miss you. I love you, Dexter Charming. And I'm going to miss you so much. But you have to know that I can't. I really can't deal with this. I tried. It's been weeks since Legacy Day, and I'm still getting death threats. Lizzie actually told me that she was sending her mother's army of cards after me to take off my head. Briar said that she would feed me poisoned apples. She seems to think that there's nobody here who loves me enough to save me with that True Love's Kiss thing._

_Will that work with what I'm going to try? Cupid told me not to touch the little red bottle. She said it causes strong emotion, and that it would kill someone my size. Apparently, it's made for trolls, giants...things like that. The emotion it would fill me with is supposed to kill me. She also said that nothing could wake me up from that. I asked her about the Love's Kiss thing. Apparently, the vial's contents are so strong that even True Love's Kiss can't wake anyone up from it. I figure this thing is pretty powerful if even the strongest magic we have can't reverse its effects. _

_Trust me, Dex, I wouldn't be doing this if there was anything else to do. It's better this way. I'm out of everyone's way. I did some research. Ashlynn is supposed to have two step-sisters. Currently, there are three girls that fit the role. Whichever one doesn't make the cut for Ashlynn's story is going to become the next Evil Queen. Headmaster Grimm is planning a Legacy Day redo the day after Valentine's Day. One of the three future step-sisters is going to pledge to be the next Evil Queen, to replace me. Apple will get her story. You'll get to find yours. You'll get your Happily Ever After with your Princess. _

_Just...think of me every now and then, okay? I'm going to love you Forever After. If you fall in love with whichever Princess that's in your story, that's okay too. I just want to know I'm still important to you. I'll miss you, Dex. I love you. _

_Yours Forever After,_

_Rae_

Dexter stowed the letter back in the pillowcase, in case his tears smudged the ink, but no tears came. He'd been crying for weeks. Now, he had his closure, the final proof that she was gone, and he couldn't cry. He couldn't even muster a few tears. His eyes were still dry.

"Forever After, Rae," he promised, taking the letter back out and putting it in his chest pocket. "That's a promise."

"Raven Queen was a lot more than what you all thought of her. She wasn't evil. She was far from evil. If anyone here is evil, it's you." Dexter's eyes narrowed on the Royals. The princesses had their princess tears, but Dexter knew they felt nothing for the loss of Raven. His brother recoiled in his seat. He was a Charming. Charmings weren't called evil. Darling gasped and took her oldest brother's hand. She wasn't used to being insulted either.

"Raven was the kindest, most wonderful girl I've ever met. She was the exact opposite of her mother, but none of you could look past that. All you could do was insult her because of something she had no control over. She was a better person than any of you. She was more royal than any of us. She had all the qualities of a leader. She was smart, funny, compassionate, kind, open-minded, and an all around beautiful.

"I love Raven. Love, in the present tense. I'm never going to stop loving her. Even when I have to sign that terrible book and throw my life at the feet of whichever of you," Dexter paused to look at the princesses. "I'm still going to love Rae. Forever After." He looked to the glass coffin where Raven's body was laid out. There was a purple velvet sheet covering the body, hiding the contents of the coffin from the younger Fairy Tales that gathered to pay their respects. Many of the guests were children of other 'evil' figures. Some of them were truly evil, but a majority of them had agreed with Raven's desire to write their own destiny.

"Raven Ebony Queen, wherever you are, here's to Forever After." The crowd below, minus the royals, chanted 'Forever After' in respect, and each member of the crowd lined up to give Raven a final gift. The royals went first, each of them dropping in a gold coin, or something similar. Apple walked up to the coffin, real tears streaming down her face. She removed her crown and placed it beside where Raven's head would be.

"Here's to a real Royal." Apple said, swooping down to kiss the velvet covering gracefully. Briar followed suit, placing her crown-glasses into the coffin. After that, all the princesses left their crowns behind for Raven. Daring reluctantly let go of his crown and placed it beside all the others. He touched the velvet, but he didn't swoop to kiss it the way Apple had.

Daring was the last to put his gift in. Everyone else had returned to the castle, where they would change out of their mourning outfits and spend the rest of the day in their rooms. Classes wouldn't resume until the next Monday. Dexter was alone with the coffin. Alone with Raven.

The coffin was littered with important things. Prince and Princess crowns glinted in the sun. A wooden carving of Raven was tucked into the velvet. Maddie had left a hat similar to her own hat. Lizzie had left a deck of ruby encrusted cards. Everyone had left something important. Dexter placed his final gift to Raven under the velvet sheet, laying Raven's hands over the slip of paper. It had taken him up until this morning to get it right. Even now, he wasn't sure it said everything he wanted to say. He pulled back the velvet to kiss Raven on the forehead before covering her back up.

"Miss you, Rae." He whispered. "The note says it all."

Raven,

_Sorry my handwriting isn't as nice as yours. I never had to take Royal Calligraphy classes. That was Darling's department. I read your note. Before I say anything else, i need to say that I do miss you. I miss you more every day. Don't think for a second that I don't miss you. I'm positive that there's a life after death. Maybe you became someone else. Maybe you'll be reborn into a happier story, where you'll get your Happily Ever After, your own way. Who knows? _

_I love you too, Raven. You should have given me the chance to show you how much. I would have made sure that you knew just how loved you were. How loved you are. I would have made sure that nobody messed with you the way they did. You should have told me, Rae. I would have put a stop to it. Just because I'm not Daring doesn't mean I don't have influence. If I had known..._

_Don't worry about me falling in love with another princess. You're my Forever After. You'll always be my Forever After, even though you're not here anymore. It doesn't matter if I'm in the story of the most desired Princess around. Nobody could compare to you, Rae. I love you. Simple as that. I have since we met in Nursery Rhyme School, and I'll love you until the day I die. _

_Yours Forever After, _

_Dex_

Dexter placed a hand over his chest pocket and inhaled. Raven's note had been there since he found it last week, and that's where it would stay,

Forever After.


End file.
